About 10 miles north of Deep Creek Lake, is Accident, Maryland. The tiny, picturesque town is home to about 330 residents. The town offers residents parks with features such as a fishing pond, pavilion, Little League field, and a walking trail. When is the best time to visit Accident? The Fourth of July Homecoming celebration! For more information, visit http://www.accidentmd.org/.

FUN FACT: Ever wonder how Accident got its name? Back in the late 1700’s, two Western Maryland settlers surveyed the land. By “accident” they chose the same piece of property, therefore the tract of land was named “Accident”.

OAKLAND — Two bills in the Maryland legislature dealing with studying the health impacts of fracking have received the support of the Garrett County Board of Realtors.

House Bill 449 and Senate Bill 409 both call for a statewide moratorium on natural gas development that uses hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, until certain studies are completed to determine the health effects that the technology poses to communities.

The Board of Realtors notes that property values are negatively impacted for homes in proximity to gas well development. The stigma from the possibility of health-related water well contamination contributes to upwards of 20 percent or more negative impact on home values, according to the board.

Homes sold faster last month than in any February since 2007 as eager buyers met a tight supply of homes for sale, industry figures show.

Homes were on the market for a median of 98 days last month, down from 123 days in February 2011, according to Realtor.com. That means half the homes listed for sale in February were on the market for less than 98 days and half for more than that.

The overall economic recovery is betting big on real estate’s continued progress. After all, a stronger real estate market can lead to a stronger job market.

Strength in the real estate sector tends to lead to increased hiring in various housing-related industries, from carpenters and landscapers to real estate agents, loan processors, appliance manufacturers, furniture makers, and more.

When it comes to job creation, “the most promising news is related to the housing market,” says John Challenger, CEO of employment consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

The construction sector for housing added 28,000 jobs in January alone.